It sounds like a scene out of a horror movie: a man beat up and his eyes gouged out perhaps in a secluded back alley in the middle of the night. Instead, it’s real life in the middle of the day in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
“It feels like I’m in a nightmare and I keep thinking I’ll wake up,” said the father of a man in his 50s who was severely beat up in Baton Rouge. “The doctors said they’ve never had a case like this at the hospital.”
To protect the victim and his family, Unfiltered with Kiran is choosing not to identify the victim or his father by their names.
The beating happened on March 30, 2022 around 1:30pm on Cedarcrest Ave. right near Interstate 12. The victim lived with his girlfriend on Cedarcrest Ave. and was walking to a job to work on clearing up someone’s yard, something the victim’s father said he did often.
Baton Rouge Police are investigating but nearly two months since the beating, his family still has no answers and no one has been arrested. BRPD did release a few pictures asking for the public’s help in identifying the individuals.
The victim’s father said someone snuck up behind him and hit him really hard leaving a large cut to his head.
“He was kicked in the face and then they pulled his eyes out,” said the dad. “I don’t know any of the details why this person(s) chose to do it. It takes a really mean individual to take and gouge someone’s eyes out. An ass-whipping is one thing but this, this takes a very mean individual. It was unbelievable that something like this could happen. I was in disbelief. I didn’t believe what I was hearing. It’s the worst thing I’ve ever experienced in my life and I’ve been through things but nothing this severe.”
The victim spent his first few weeks at a Baton Rouge hospital in a trauma unit. He was in a coma for about five days according to his family. In total, the victim was in a hospital for a month and a half. Now, many of his physical scars have healed.
“We were told they targeted his face by intentionally trying to pull his eyes out. The only physical thing was his face was very bruised up with a cut to his head. He’s healed up scratches on his elbow. He doesn’t speak very well anymore. I don’t know if it’s from the respirator he had at the hospital or from the beating,” said the father.
Emotionally and mentally however, how do you deal with the fact that someone beat a man in his mid-50s to the point that his eyes were literally pulled out during broad daylight in the middle of Baton Rouge? The victim has no eyes now. His family is trying to speak with ophthalmologists to see if his vision can be restored at all.
“You have all kinds of emotions. It’s a terrible thing for it to happen to anyone but when it hits your own home, it’s unbearable. As far as catching the person, what can they do to him? Arrest him, will he even stay in prison? It’s just hard to believe someone could be that mean to another individual. I don’t know if they meant to kill him or left him to die,” said his father.
The father admitted that his son “was no saint.” He added the area this happened in is near a problematic area that’s known for drugs and prostitution. However, the father was not aware whether his son was involved in anything or not. Regardless though, he said no one deserves to have their eyes gouged out.
“He is not talking. He said he doesn’t remember anything. He had a 2-inch cut on the top of his head. He doesn’t remember anything about the incident. I don’t know if he’s scared or really doesn’t remember anything,” said his father.
The father made sure he included the EMS paramedics who responded to his son saved his life. “We were told he wasn’t breathing when they arrived. EMS saved his life.”
Now, a mother, father and the victim’s siblings are desperate for any help in identifying the person(s) responsible.
BEEN A VICTIM? SHARE YOUR STORY IN YOUR OWN WORDS
His father added that he was in “disbelief” when he first heard what happened to his son, especially in the middle of the day. He said he’s lived in BR most of his life and he’s in his 70s now, but that the Baton Rouge he knew and grew up in is no longer the same.
“You need to protect yourself be it with a weapon or whatever you need. This is a different era that what I grew up in.”
Anyone who may recognize the individuals in the pictures or have any information to help officials on this case, you’re asked to call Crime Stoppers at 344-STOP and remain anonymous.
I know this happened quite awhile back, but I just now read the details…I had heard there was an altercation on Cedarcrest and it concerned me because I live off of Stumberg which is near Cedarcrest. But my heart hurts to hear of such a malicious act. No matter what this man could have done for someone to want to beat him up, taking his sight is just a horrible thing to do. He will surely be in my prayers! And THANK YOU KIRAN! I just LOVE your reporting and have a tremendous respect for your honesty and tenacity in reporting the FACTS without fear of the consequences. You are a refreshing and inspirational change from the media that has evolved from the Cancel Culture and the Left leaning reporters we see on national television today. We NEED so many more like you! God bless you and i pray daily for God to continue to grant you wisdom and strength! Again, THANK YOU!
I remember when I heard about this I could not imagine someone doing such a horrific thing to another human being. At first, I actually thought the person telling me about it was exaggerating. I hope if someone knows something about this attack they do the right thing and report it to the police. There is a psychopath walking among us who has NO CONSCIOUS and could do this or something worse to someone if not caught.